Al-Kaisi and his team have been working on this project since 2008. The research team conducted the research at two sites: One in central Iowa and one in the southwest part of the state. The researchers monitored the effects of removing of corn residue, soil organic matter, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil quality.

The researchers saw that an increase in carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions on plots where the residue was removed coincided with increased nitrogen application. They also concluded that excessive corn residue removal can cause erosion.

“Residue removal has some real environmental impacts on soil health and water quality. It needs to be approached thoughtfully and on a site-specific condition basis,” Al-Kaisi said in a press release.